Re: “Autistic girl drowns in Nakhon Ratchasima” and “Two children drown after being left alone”, Around Thailand, November 15 and 16.

Each year in Thailand, children drown with distressing frequency. Drowning is the No 1 cause of death in Thai children under the age of 15 – higher than fatalities from infectious and non-infectious diseases, and two times higher than from traffic accidents.

Both reports cited tell of children falling into ponds while playing and then drowning.

The best way of preventing this is the close care and attention of parents. Don’t leave children alone in situations where they are too young to take care of themselves. Warning young kids of the dangers posed by large bodies of water is also a good idea.

Crucially, far too few Thai children are taught to swim. Training more to do so would surely cut the horrifying drowning statistics.

Teaching to swim alone is not the fix in my opinion; then also affordable and safe opportunities to practice must be provided. When I was a kid, we were all taught to swim, practicing was possible in the many public swimming pools with life guards on duty. Admission fees were affordable. But in the last years more of those public swimming pools closed, because the towns couldn't afford to run and maintain them anymore. People did not use them as much anymore and their revenues ran low, while the costs for maintenance increased.

Here in Korat swimming pools are provided mainly by big hotels and resorts; but for a fee they can also be used by people not residing there. Then there is a water park at the zoo.